Collapsible carrier



March 2 1926. 1,574,804

. 'l C. FLAGSTAD COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1925 3 Sheets- Sheet l E /21 22 0 47S 7x7 F7 6`I/ f V sf l E( l 1 1 H l L .:r-l l 1 I J L ues 16 a4- l/zwl l' l/ \/4H V*- 5 f fi \\3 /Ix March 2 1926.

C. FLAGSTAD COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER Filed Jan. 5, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 2 -1 926.

C. FLAGSTAD COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER CORNELL FLHGsT/qo Patented Mar. 2, lfz..

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CORNELL FLAGSTAD, OF MINNEAFOLIS, '.DINNESTA, .ASSGNOR O' NINETY-IEIVE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO THE FOLDNG CRATE AND BOX COMPANY, OF MINNE- APOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION.

COLLAPSIBLE CARRIER.

i Application filed January 5, 1925. Serial No. `589. y

To ZZ whom t may concern: i

Be it known that I, CORNELL F Laesrin, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Minneapolis, in. the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Carriers, of which the following is a specification. Y

This linvention relates to collapsible carriers and the inain object is Vto provide an improved type of shipping crate in which the side and end vsections are hingedly cured together, and in which theV cover, or top and bottom sections, are Ydetachably se.- cured in such a manner that they may be quickly and easily attached and detached to the said side and end sections when the crate is to be set up or collapsed.v Some of the features disclosed and claimed in this application areY alsol shown in pending application Ser. 677,175, whichwas filed on November 26, 1923, for collapsible crate, and

. in so far as such features are common to the two applications the present application Y tions-being broken out.

`Figure 3 is an enlarged detail .sectional View of the line 3--3 in Figure 1, the central portion of the view being broken out. l

Figure 4 is an enlarged' detail section as seen on the line 4--4 in Figure 3.

.Figure 5 isa detail view ofa hinge meinber used in the crate. l

Figure 6 is a sectionalV detail view 'et one corner of the crate, seen when the crate is collapsed.

Figure 7 is a (reduced) modification of the corner structure shown in Figruc G.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail section* on the line 8-8 in Figure 1.

Figure 9 is an enlar,D the line 9 --9- in Figure 1 A y Fioure 10 is perspective detail showing it :inofiificntion in thehin'ge structure:

0*ed detail section onv Figure 1l is a perspective detail showing a further modified corner hinge.

Figure 12 is a plan view ofa crate which embodies certain import-ant modifications over the crate shown in Figure 1. Figures 13l and 14 are enlarged detail sectional views on the lines 13-7-13 ariel 14--14, respectively in Figure'lQ.v

Referring to the drawings more particularly and by referencecharacters, A and sections will swing through a parallelograin Y to the position shown in Figure .Y The crate 1s closed by a top orcover. section (il and a bottom section The cover and bottom sections of the crate may be constructed the same, so that Figures 1 and 12A maybe considered as either top or'bottoin plan views, but as ity is'desirable in someinstances to use a bottom section of adifferent type I have, in Figure 2, shown the section H hinged to the side sectionf,v as at 15, so that it can be folded up against that side section and becontained within the crate when the latter is collapsed or knocked down. `When the crate is in a set up position the swingin end of the section H is dropped down fso as to rest on a strip 16 which is permanently secured upon theinner side of the opposite side section A, and at its lower edge The'various sections of the crate are made up of transversely crossed. slats which'are` nailed or otherwise secured together in `any a pintle for the member 27. This pintle member 27 is secured between the slats 17 and 18a (01'201) and is substantially the same as the pintle member shown in Figure 5,'

encept that the en'd barbs 29 are imbedded at right 'angles into one of the slats, to prevent the memberrom being pulled out `of place.-

T he slats 18a and 22ZL are secured, preferably by nails, as shown, to the extremities of the horizontal slats 17 and 21, so as to clamp the entire lengths of the hinged` members, and in order that these sections may be swung to a right angular or set upl position theinuer edges of the slats .18*7L and 22ct are beveled, as indicated at `3() in Figures 1, 2, and 6. This construction thus efects a relatively close or tight corner joint at all times which, of course, is highly desirable in so-me types ofc-rates. K r n v ln the modified corner construction D1, illustrated in Figure 7, the vertical slats 18b and 22h are not beveled, as in Figure 6, but the outer edge of the slat 18b is spaced from the pintle center the distance equal to the thickness ofthe slat 22b sothat the two slats will'close together when the sections A and E are at right angles to each other, as indi-` cated by the dotted lines 31. In this case Y it may alsoL be noted that the two'ieaves of the bearing strap 32-are 'not secured together v as with28 in Figure 6, but straddle and` are secured over` the end of the slat 17, one end being secured between the two slats 18 and 18h.

At the other ends (from .of the side and end sections a corner construction is provided such as shown particularly in Fig ure 4. In this event the hingefbail is secured between the slats 23 and 24a, but the pivoting center of the hinge `isl` oii'set from the section A bya vertical strip or slat 34, and the slats 24 and 84 are beveled, as at 25, so that the crate may becollapsed'- (see Fig'- ure 2). Thus themembers` 34 will effect al space between the sections A, E andFB F for the reception of the bottom section .li when the crate islnocked down, and by varying the sizeofv the members 844 it will be apparent that both the top 'and' bottom sections maybe returned inthe collapsedcrateii so desired. In Figures 11 `andr12 isillustrated a 4nfiodicatien` G1 of the hinge C. lin this event, instead of using an offsetting member suchA as 34, I employ a double hinge leaf 85 (similar to 28)V and. provide the pintle ineinber 86 with an offset extension to eil'ect the desired spacing within the crate when it is olded"up. K Y Y l K y y In Figure`10,v I have showin'r a further modi.- iication; of afcrate hinge construction, and it consists` primarily oftwo wire members 38 and 39, the ends of which are imbedded and secured inl theadjacent crate,` sections, while the lintermediate' portions 40" and 41 are Aing orreleasing inoven'i'ent of th looped and connected, as at 42, to form a pivoting connection. A hinge 01"' this type may be used either at the corners, such as at D, or. if the shank portions 40-41 are long enough the spacing, `such as by t-he slats 84, will be effected. Y.

The crate closures or head sections for closing the crates will now be described. as o-llows: rllhe cover section G, shown in Figures A1, 3, 8 and 9, .consists oi' two interslidably secured frames, the` one having longitudinal slats` 43'and 44, connected by transverse slats 45, 4.6, 47 and 48;- and the other or sliding iframe consisting of longitudinal slats 49, 50 and 51, which slide on the slats 45'48, and transverse slats 52, 53, and 54, which are secured to the slats 49-51, but operate under and project beyond theslats 43, 44. The stationary cover frame 4841-8 lits snugly between the side sections i and B, and thus braces the cratein a rectangular condition, and the ends of the slats 48, 44 project beyond the slats 45, 48 so as to rest and be supported on the top edges of vthe end sections E and F.y 'f

The slats` 52, 58, and 54 project beyond the stationary frame Vfor engagement in apertures 55 and 56 in the upper rails 17 and 1910i: the side4 sections, to"r lock the cover in place on ther crate. This sliding movement o't' the frame is permitted by reason of the slat 51 being spaced inwardly from the slat 44, thus allowing a limited movement oft the slats 49 andy 571 between the slats-43 .and 44. As shown in Figures 1 and?) the movable cover bolts 52, 53, and 54 extend into both side sections and the cover is locked in place. To remove the cover it is necessary to slide the movable frame until the slat 51 meets the slat 44. This will free the cover from the. side section A, as4 indicated by dotted lines, so that it may be lifted and withdrawn from the sidesection B. To replace the cover this opera-tion is reversed.

To secure the two cover iframes in releasably locked positions ywith respect lo each other, l have `.provided devices as shown in Figures 1, 8 and 9. ,'llhe device shown in Figures 1 and 9 coi'isists of a plate 57 which is secured on the slat 47 andhas a tooth 58 which engages upwardly against the Slat 50, when the cover is closed, so that the cover frames cannotbe returned to opening posi tion without first manually depressing the slat 47 to free the tooth 58. in the latch shown in Figure 8 l have provided the slut 46 with a hole 59 through which projects a manually depressible dog oi' spring member 61. rihe dog GO stops the retract- A slat 50, unless depressed, and springs back into its latching position afs soon' as the cover frames are againin closedpositions with respect to the crate.

The cover shown in Figures 12, 13, and let is a one piece Asection, consisting` of horizontal slats (52, 63, and Gli and transverse slats 65, 66, and 67, secured thereunder. This cover section lits between the side sections and rests on the end sections, as in Figure l. rlhe cover is secured in place by means of a pair of sliding bolts G8 and 69. The bolt 68 operates in a channel. in the slot 62,- and rides on a wearing plate 70 secured on the slat 6G. Its sliding movement is limited by a pair of vertical end extensions 71 and 72, so that when the bolt is locked in place it will not only hold the cover down, but will also prevent the side section from bulging or spreading away from the cover section, And, with the saine objects and ad-4 vantages in view I have also shown the cover Gf in Figure l, as provided with similar antibulging members. In Figure 12 and 14 I have shown a further modification of the device by providing a metallic bridging member 78 between two of the slats 20, for engagement by the locking member 69, which, in this event, need not project through the side section.

To engage and disengage the bolts 68 or 69 it is of course necessary to depress the cover at that point, so as to allow the extensions 72 to be moved into and out of locking positions.

It is understood that various modifications may be made in the general design and structural details of the invention as herein illustrated and described, providing however, that such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having now therefore, fully shown and described mv invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent isl. A crate having side and end sections, a cover for closing the crate and adapted to rest with its ends on opposite of said. sections, said cover consisting of longitudinal and transverse slats vall of which are rigidly connected and being arranged between the upper ends of the other of said sections. and locking devices slidably arranged on the cover for engagement with said other sections for locking the cover in place, vsaid locking devices being movable only when the cover is depressed at a point intermediate its ends.

2. The combination with a crate having hingedly connected side and end sections, of a detachable cover section for closing' the `crate, said cover section being arranged to rest with its ends on the end sections and to lit between the upper ends of the side sections to brace the crate 'in a rectangular position and locking members projecting laterally from the sides of the cover forv locking engagement with said side sections, said A cratefhaving side andend sections,

a cover for closing the crate, a'locking bolt slidably secured to the cover for locking engagement with one of said sections said bolt having a vertical extension at its outer end to prevent bulging of the said `section away from the cover, said extension also serving to prevent retraction of the boltv except when the cover is depressed.

et". Ina crate having a detachable cover, of hooks slidably arranged with respect to the cover and engageable with the walls of the crate, said hooks having upward extensions whereby they may be slidably Vmoved i into engaging position with said walls when the cover is pressed down below its normal position.

5. The combination with a box, of a cover therefor adapted to be sprung in respect to its normal position of rest on the box and provided with fasteners adapted for inter-locking engagement with the box and arranged to be held interlocked with the box by the spring tension of the cover.

6. The combination with a box, of a cove-r therefor adapted to be sprung in respect to its normal position of rest on the box and provided'with movable fasteners constructed for interlocking engagement with the box and arranged to be held ininterlocking engageinent therewith by the spring tension of said cover. Y

7. The combination with a box, ofacovei therefor adapted to be sprungin respect to its normal position of rest on the box and provided with sliding fasteners having bent ends insertable through openings in the box and adapted for interlocking engagement with the box.

n 8. The combination with a box, of a cover therefor adapted to be sprung in respect to its normal position of rest on the box and provided with sliding fasteners having bent ends insertable through openings in the box and adapted for interlocking engagement withthe box and arranged to be held interlocked with the box by the spring tension of said cover.

f). The combination with a box, of a cover therefor adapted to be sprung in respect to its normal position of rest on the box and provided with fasteners in the form of flat metal slides having outturned ends permitting said fasteners limited sliding movements, said box having openings through which the outer flanged ends of said slides may be moved when'tlie cover is sprung, and the said fasteners being heldin interlocking engagement with the box by the spring tension of said cover;

l-O. The eombinationwth a box having sidesrthat project slightly above its tends, said sides having fastener passagesvin the vicinity of its upper edge,V of e cover coinprising laterailyspaoed bars and cross s1ats,

adaptedfor interlocking engagement there- With.

ll. The structure defined in claim l() in which said fasteners may be engaged through the fastener passages of said box only when the intermediate portions of the bars of said cover are Sprung inward.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

. COR-NELL FLAGSTAD. 

